I work with Children, Young People, Individuals,Couples,Families and Adoption. I have current enhanced DBS clearances with Barnardo's, Adoption London South and Diagrama Adoption Agencies.
I am really passionate in working with people from all walks of life, without distinction, offering everyone a trusting, confidential, non-judgemental and calm space in which to share what is going on for you, knowing I am there to really listen and validate what you are saying. Working together in a professional relationship can help you seek different perspectives for choosing a new path through your life. Exploring, processing and resolving your current and past experiences, can help you achieve freedom from repetitive patterns within your life which maybe preventing you from reaching your full potential.
ADOPTION
I am also an Approved Adoption Counsellor and undertake work privately as well as for Barnardo's Children's Charity.
I am highly trained and experienced in understanding and working with the complexities of adoption whilst helping support adoptees, birth parents and adopters. Adult adoptees can experience a lifetime of difficult and conflicting emotions such as loss, fear of rejection which can lead to difficulties in trusting themselves and others resulting in feelings of inadequacy and insecurity. Other likely difficulties can be issues around intimacy, guilt, shame, control and identity, depression and thoughts about not being worthy whilst trying to make sense of who they really are.
In 2010 the Law changed to give adoptees access to therapeutic support from trained specialists in adoption as the impact of adoption can affect every area of their lives. This Law was introduced particularly with the tracing process in mind as without specialist knowledge and experience, an adult adoptee embarking on the journey of locating birth parents can face untold emotional distress.
Birth Parents
I offer counselling for both birth parents but understand that it is often birth mothers who suffer lifelong feelings of loss from relinquishing their child. As a result they can experience depression, feelings of guilt, shame, anger and regret. Research indicates a birth mother’s feelings of loss can intensify over time. and not reduce.
Adopters
As an Independent Adoption Panel Member I fully understand the process of adoption and how intrusive this can be. Whilst Adopter/s embark on adoption having hope and dreams for how life maybe when a child is placed this can sometimes fall short of reality in parenting a child who may well have been traumatised and be suffering with insecure attachment difficulties. This can leave parent/s feeling depleted, unsupported and less resourceful. In order to understand and connect with your adopted child it will be beneficial for parents to understand their life today, what lies beneath their child's behaviours and thus supporting parents with practical changes .